Investigations into the sugar industry in Maharashtra, India, have revealed serious human rights abuses, including illegal underage marriages, harsh working conditions, and coercion of women into unnecessary hysterectomies.
One prominent question arising from these findings is why workers do not simply leave their jobs. The investigation uncovered a troubling reality: workers who attempt to quit face threats, violence, or even abduction. In one instance, a laborer was reportedly killed, and some workers claimed they were held captive within sugar mills.
Authorities have been largely unhelpful, leaving many workers and their families in fear of further retaliation. The underlying issue is identified as debt bondage, a form of forced labor where individuals must work to repay debts, often inherited, with entire families held liable.
Debt bondage is recognized as a human rights violation and is illegal under Indian law and by the International Labor Organization. In Maharashtra, sugar cane cutters do not receive wages but rather advances from contractors at the start of the harvest, which they must repay through their labor. This system, lacking written agreements, gives contractors significant control over workers.
Workers endure extreme conditions, laboring from dawn until dusk in harsh heat, with children often forced to assist without pay. All interviewed workers reported that debt dictated their lives, compelling them to return year after year.
Contractors acknowledged that it is nearly impossible for workers to repay advances within a single harvest season, leading to a cycle of debt that traps them in the industry. This situation also contributes to health issues, particularly for women, who face inadequate sanitary conditions while working.
Many women are pressured to undergo hysterectomies to avoid menstruation or as a preventive measure against cancer, which is perceived as a significant threat in remote areas. The costs associated with these procedures often lead families to borrow from employers, further entrenching them in debt.
While multinational companies sourcing sugar from Maharashtra claim to avoid debt bondage in their supply chains, the practice remains widespread. A government fact-finding team previously reported that the sugar industry relies heavily on bonded labor.
Local politicians often deny the existence of debt bondage, likely due to their financial ties to the sugar mills. A court case addressing the treatment of sugar workers is currently pending, but progress is slow due to India's overloaded court system.